


A conversation with Valentino's Zia

by Elizabeth (anghraine)



Series: the greatest Spanish-Italian-Canadian rock band ever [2]
Category: The Borgias (2011)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, F/M, Gen, Interviews, One Shot, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-09
Updated: 2014-02-09
Packaged: 2018-01-11 16:30:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1175275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anghraine/pseuds/Elizabeth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Canadian band Valentino scores its first major hit and female vocalist Zia is singled out for critical praise, she gives an off-the-cuff interview, discussing everything from her education, to her hair, to her career as a vocalist, to her close relationship with band drummer Cesare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A conversation with Valentino's Zia

**Author's Note:**

> The Cesare/Lucrezia is mostly implied, but it's definitely going to happen.

Canadian band Valentino hasn’t exactly come out of nowhere. They’ve had a solid fanbase almost from the start, and if the critics haven’t thought much of their light, catchy songs, they’ve sold well enough to keep themselves in business. Under the management of Rodrigo Lanzol, the once-obscure group has seen their songs crawling up the charts for nearly two years. But this month they struck gold with their hit single, “Live and Lie For You,” which remains in the top twenty on the US Billboard 200.

The Vancouver band consists of Geoffrey Bishop, bassist and sometime backing vocalist, mostly passing under the radar with drummer Cesare Borgia; energetic frontman Juan Borgia (Juan and Cesare are cousins); and the band’s lone female singer, the stunning Zia, on the guitar. Last week, (in)famous British critic Paul Gregory singled her out as one of the top ten rising stars of the year. I had the pleasure of talking to her yesterday.

**_Zia, I’d like to thank you for coming. I’m sure your schedule is pretty crowded right now._ **

_Just a bit. [laugh] Really, it’s my pleasure._

**_Let’s talk about “Live and Lie For You.” Did you have any idea it’d be this big a hit?_ **

_Oh, no. It’s as much a surprise for us as for—Rolling Stone, say. I did like it better than some of our recent stuff. It’s … I’m not sure how much I’m actually allowed to say! The creative process was different._

**_It’s supposed to be written by Valentino._ **

_Yeah, all four of us. Well, not me so much. [laugh] I think I suggested changing two words. Some of us are better at that side than others, but it was really a group effort. We wanted everyone to get credit for their part._

**_Which of you contributed the most?_ **

_Cesare. And Juan, of course. They’re the songwriters, really. I just pluck at the guitar and sing._

**_Speaking of your singing, have you read Paul Gregory’s article? The top ten rising stars of the year?_ **

_Oh God._

**_I take it that’s a yes?_ **

_[laugh] Yeah. Yeah, I saw it. Read it. Might have framed it and hung it on the wall._

**_I was going to ask what you thought of it. Do you agree with Gregory’s assessment?_ **

_It probably sounds arrogant, but mostly, yes. I mean … top ten, I don’t know about that. But I think a lot of people dismissed me as just this, this sort of obligatory blonde girl, you know? We read as many articles and things as we can, and even the worst ones, they’d say things like ‘Juan Borgia’s voice sounds like a child trying to recreate the screams of dying owls in a recorder’ but I’m barely even mentioned. The most complimentary thing I remember was something like ‘token soprano Zia is the least offensive of the lot.’ Wow, thanks. So it’s nice to have someone talking about my voice, my performance, even if it’s negative. And of course that article wasn’t negative at all. It’s great._

**_Gregory also says that you’re the real talent of the group. Is that true?_ **

_What? Oh, no, no. We all … we’re not like some bands you see, where one guy’s the face of the band and then there’s this revolving door of interchangeable back-up. I can’t say none of us will ever leave, but it’s absolutely a team effort. We all play a part. You’d think it was just Juan and me from how people talk … at least, are talking right now. It’s not like that at all. We wouldn’t be Valentino without Cesare, without Geoff._

**_But if you had to pick just one—_ **

_I couldn’t._

**_Well, would you say you’re the strongest singer of the group? And if not, who would it be?_ **

_Cesare. [laugh] Sorry, just the look on your face—I’m not joking, though. Cesare and I are the only ones with formal training. He doesn’t want to ruin his voice doing backing screams, you know? But he’s got this amazing tone and range. Nearly four octaves without falsetto. I wanted to kill him in middle school._

**_You went to school together?_ **

_Yeah. We’re the same age, so it was the same grade and everything. I didn’t actually hate him. [pause] Actually, I had a terrible crush on him in seventh grade! God, it feels so long ago. Ten years. We went to the same college, too. It was American, this state school in New England._

**_Did you study music?_ **

_No. I was a business major. I know, right? Nobody expects it. We did do plenty of choral stuff, I had some solos and duets. Very different from now, lots of Broadway and so on. There are probably some clips floating around—_

**_Is this you?_ **

_Oh my God. Yeah, that’s it, that’s me and Cesare. Pie Jesu. Wow, I’ve never actually seen the footage. Someone from the college must have put it up._

**_Did you ever think you’d end up where you are?_ **

_Here? [laugh] No. I don’t know. I Googled myself once—okay, twice—and it was insane. And it’s, in college I was planning on managing an IT department or something. Now I’m a hashtag. I was trending—yesterday? The day before? It’s kind of unreal. There are people who know more about me than I do. And there are others, Cesare sent me a link to a bunch of people arguing about whether I’m American or Canadian. They were incredibly angry._

**_Canadian, right?_ **

_Yes. I was born over the border in Bellingham—my parents were visiting when I came early—and people get confused about that. I’ve actually seen articles calling me, like, “Portuguese-American singer Zia.”  But my father moved here from Italy and I’m Canadian._

**_Do you speak Italian?_ **

_No. Well, just what I know from music. But it’s not like … I mean, I’ve been to Rome twice, that’s it. Anyway, Mom and Dad are actually Spanish. I don’t speak that either! I know some Catalan, though._

**_You don’t exactly look Portuguese._ **

_I guess? People say I don’t look Spanish, either. They think we’re all Antonio Banderas, I think. Or it’s the dye._

**_You’re not a natural blonde?_ **

_Is it a huge disappointment? [laugh] No. We’re all dark naturally—the four of us, I mean. Rodrigo, that’s our manager, thought I’d stand out more as a blonde. I go in every few weeks to get it done. Juan started lightening his later, too._

**_Do you ever wear a wig?_ **

_Me? No. Well, except the Marie Antoinette thing for “Broken Bridge.” And Juan does sometimes. But usually what you see is all mine, though some of the styles are a pain. I remember sitting for over two hours for the hairdresser to get it right for the concert in Montréal._

**_You mentioned Juan. Can you tell us what he’s like offstage?_ **

_Pretty much what he’s like onstage. Very high energy, very friendly. And loud! Sometimes I have to remind him he’s in a club, not giving a concert. [laugh] He likes to keep moving, have fun. He’s a blast, really._

**_Any truth to the rumors that the two of you—_ **

_No._

**_None to the story about him attacking your current boyfriend?_ **

_Oh, that. Yeah, they were both drunk and got into a fight. It was over something stupid—I don’t remember, it was months ago now. Juan apologized once he sobered up. And, anyway, Paul and I haven’t been together for awhile._

**_Are you dating anyone right now?_ **

_Nope! The break-up was pretty nasty, so I’m just staying single for now. It’s been awhile, but it’s nice not to always be in the middle of some relationship drama._

**_What about the other members of the band?_ **

_Are they dating, you mean? Geoff’s married to a friend of mine, actually. Sancha Darcy, the designer. Cesare broke up around the same time I did. His girlfriend was old school Catholic and didn’t really … it didn’t work out. Oh, were you asking what they’re like offstage? Great, really. Geoff’s a total sweetheart. And Cesare is my best friend._

**_You said you went to school together. You must have known each other a long time._ **

_We grew up on the same street in White Rock and our parents were close, so yeah. We’ve been pretty much connected at the hip since … [laugh] I’m trying to remember when we met and I can’t. I think we must have been three or four, just little kids. It feels like forever! I can’t imagine my life without him. It’s wonderful, really. Lovers come and go but a friend like Cesare, there’s nothing like it._

**_And you’re just friends?_ **

_I can’t think of it that way. He’s the love of my life. It’s our joke that … well, if you’ve followed me at all, you know that I—I’ve had a lot of relationships end badly. I tell him that it’s because he’s spoiled me for other men. But it’d be weird if we dated. Really weird. We’re like brother and sister._

**_That does sound wonderful. And where do you see the band going now?_ **

_Up! Isn’t that what we all want? I really hope this is Valentino’s big breakthrough. From here—well, we tried our hand at writing our own song and it turned out well. More of that. If all goes well, there’ll be more hits, bigger tours, that sort of thing. But we have to stay true to who we are. We’re not going too soft, too pop—we’ll always be a rock band._

**_Amen to that! And on that note, I’ll let you go. Thank you again for giving me so much of your time._ **

_You’re quite welcome._


End file.
